What Should You Do After Dismissing a Problematic Employee

Let's say you had to dismiss a problem employee, and there is no other way to resolve this issue. Unfortunately, that employee is the only person in your organisation who knows how to do their job, so you feel conflicted to let them go. 

Losing an employee with a valuable skill set is a setback. But, depending on the severity of the issue, letting the employee stay could undermine your organisation. 

What if you had to dismiss the employee? It may be difficult to handle, but everyone is replaceable.

These are five tips to help you fill the void left by the employee:

1. Use your resources. Can you or anyone else in your organisation do the former employee's job? It will take some time, but you or they will master the task. Working overtime for a few weeks may not be ideal, but it can help you bridge the gap. 

2. Hire former employees. If someone else in your company has done this job, you may have found your answer to this problem. If not, find a former employee who has done it and enlist their services. If they are not keen on returning to the company, try hiring them to train your employee.

3. Hire a trainer to teach your employee. 

4. Find a person with the same skill set. The former employee is not the only one who has this skill set. If there are other companies that use the same equipment or software, you should find it easier to hire a new employee with the necessary skill set. 

5. Approach the vendors for help. If your issue is operating specific equipment or software, you should approach the company that sold it to you. They may be able to provide training and point you in the direction of someone who could do the job. 

Some businesses keep problem employees for years because they could not find a replacement, and it only makes things worse.

Ensure this issue will never happen again

This problem is not something we can afford to repeat. If possible, we should cross-train our employees on every job. You may need to document your company's tasks and keep records detailing who is qualified to do which tasks. 

Always document your processes. Write down the specific steps needed to do every job in your company. What are the advantages of writing down the processes?

1. Documenting processes will protect you from being held hostage by a problem employee. When another employee can do the problem employee's job, you will not feel pressured to keep them.

2. As your organisation grows, this documentation will communicate how you want things done to your workers.

3. Documenting processes guarantees that things are done consistently across your company.

4. Documenting processes provides a basis for continuous improvement. It is easier to introduce improved techniques across an organisation if everyone is doing a task in the same way. 

 

There are so many small businesses that had to keep problem employees just because they are the only ones capable of doing the job. It is a bitter pill to swallow, but we must do the right thing and move on. 

Once you have gotten rid of the problem employee, ensure that you are never in the same position again by cross-training your workers and documenting processes.

 

Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch

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